AUSTINTOWN Woman charged in 2 thefts

The first charge is a misdemeanor, but the second is a felony.
AUSTINTOWN -- A Youngstown woman who was issued a summons regarding misdemeanor theft from Kmart Thursday afternoon was arrested Thursday night after she was accused of stealing from Wal-Mart.
Police charged Amber Grimm, 19, of Robinwood Place, with felony theft in the Wal-Mart case. The charge is a felony because of the value of the items she is accused of stealing.
Grimm is set to be arraigned on both charges Monday in Mahoning County Court in Austintown.
An employee of Kmart on Mahoning Avenue told police she watched Grimm place make-up and clothes worth a total of $144 into a book bag and walk out of the store around 1:15 p.m. Employees stopped Grimm, brought her back into the store, and called police. She was given a summons around 2 p.m.
Deputy watching
Reports state that around 8:30 p.m., an off-duty Mahoning County reserve deputy sheriff watched Grimm take CDs out of their packaging and put them into her purse at Wal-Mart on Mahoning Avenue. The reserve deputy, who was shopping at the store at the time, then followed Grimm and watched her place children's clothing into her bag, reports state.
When the reserve deputy went to tell Wal-Mart management about the thefts, Grimm left the store, got into a maroon Buick and drove away.
Police found a similar car near the intersection of North Meridian Road and Interstate 680 and followed it into Youngstown. The car was stopped near the intersection of U.S. Route 422 and Martin Luther King Boulevard for having an altered temporary tag.
Police searched the car and found the clothes and CDs before arresting Grimm on a theft charge, reports show. The value of the items is not listed. The car's driver, Angel Wallace, 18, of Kendis Circle, Youngstown, was cited for having an altered temporary tag. A third woman in the car was not charged.